The old man telling the child and then the young man’s story sounded stale to me. Merlin seemed to be more of a sock puppet than a person. I didn’t really care about anyone in the story, and most of the dialogue rang false, somehow.

The prose was so unmemorable that I’d pick up the book where I’d left off the night before and be completely unable to find my place because nothing sounded familiar (specifically in Book IV). I generally have a much better memory than that, so there was something about Stewart’s words that just wouldn’t stick in my head. In fact, it happened frequently that I’d discover that although I’d read every word in the preceding paragraphs, I couldn’t remember what they’d said. I don’t know why, but the book couldn’t hold my attention. The threads just slipped away.

I don’t blame my 8-year-old self for giving up even after passing the halfway point. The book adds nothing as an interpretation of the legend, or at least nothing interesting. My rating reflects the fact that the book completely failed to engage my interest and attention. Others evidently had different experiences.